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Fourteen students recognized for Honors projects at St. Bonaventure

May 12, 2012 |

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Fourteen students were recognized for their Honors projects during St. Bonaventure University’s Honors Ceremony on Saturday, and all received Honors Degrees on Sunday at Commencement.

The students and their Honors projects are:

Abhimanyu Aggarwal, a biology major and Franciscan Health Care Professions pre-med student from Leesburg, Va. He did a comprehensive study of Web 2.0 project management applications that are available on the Internet as cloud-based technologies, offer a collaborative user experience, and are cost effective. His research reviewed each of the web applications, their functional uses, a valuation of the cost structure, and offered access to tutorials in using the software effectively.

Neil Batta, a biology major from East Amherst. His project involved identifying an ion channel that has the ability to reduce excitability in stem cells in the hippocampus of the brain. Research identified an ion channel from scratch that fit the criteria outlined for what was needed both for biological and experimental purposes. The end result of the project was an ion channel gene construct and a viral expression packaging system for introduction into the stem cells in vitro.

Heather Creary, a psychology major from Penn Yan. She studied the influence of the proximity and visibility of fruits and vegetables on intake and purchasing behavior to test two hypotheses: one, that participants will eat more fruits and vegetables when they are more proximate and visible; and two, that consumers will purchase more proximate fruits and vegetables in a grocery store setting.

Alicia D’Alessandro, a journalism and mass communication major from Niskayuna. Her project was titled “An Evaluation of Service-Learning at St. Bonaventure University, as Supported by Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory.” It advocated for the increased implementation of service-learning at St. Bonaventure. The project concluded that a restructuring of the current system, including adding additional service-learning components to existing courses of St. Bonaventure’s core curriculum, would be beneficial.

Francesca R. DiCillo, an English major from Lockport. Her project was titled “Having it Your Way: The Food-Service Industry in Films,” which explored the stereotypes people have about food-service workers based on how they were depicted in film documentaries, comedies and dramas.

Terence Hartnett, an English major from Cazenovia. His project entailed writing the beginnings of what would become a novel as well as researching novel writing. The creative side of the project resulted in a substantial skeleton of a novel, with passages from the beginning, middle and end of the story. For his research, he read four instructional texts on writing and four novels by the authors of those texts, including Ray Bradbury, Stephen King and Virginia Woolf.

Chloe Koerner Priester, a mathematics major from Franklinville. “Exploring the Hyperbolic Plane” touched on the history of hyperbolic geometry and continued with a survey of the hyperbolic plane. As the focus of the project, the isomorphism between the group of motions and the group of linear fractional transformations is demonstrated.

Emilee Lindner, a journalism and mass communication major from Holland. “The Evolution of the Piano” focused on the technological advancements made in the piano over its 300-year lifespan. The works of seven composers were featured, from the great masters, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, through the innovative works of Bartok and Cowell.

Manuela Marin Salcedo, a journalism and mass communication major from Weston, Fla. She did a demographic and ethnological case study of a small Colombian village over an eight-week period by immersing herself in their culture, their lives and their laughter, attempting not only to witness but experience what it is like to be a resident of Rincón.

Elizabeth Moran, an education major from Niskayuna. Her project was “Teaching through Science: A Science-based, Technology-infused Curriculum.” She argued that it is possible to meet standards for all subject areas through a science topic, and that teachers could feel confident spending a week or two on a science unit knowing that their students were working toward math and ELA standards simultaneously.

Diana Phalon, a history major from Smethport, Pa. Her project was titled “World War II Through a Soldier’s Eyes.” It focused on the use of exhibits and oral history to educate people on World War II.

Kaitlyn Reusch, a political science major from Depew. Her project was titled “The Role of Rhetoric: Did Rhetoric of Slobodan Miloševic Influence the Ethnic Conflict in the Balkans from 1987 to 2001?” Through a review of the literature as well as an independent study, the project explored possible causes of ethnic conflict during the Yugoslav Wars.

Djenita Svinjar, a philosophy major from Rochester. Her Honors project was an in-depth empirical study examining the societal differences of women between the three ethnic groups encompassing the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The empirical research study examines the aspect of women’s rights, the evolution of women’s voices since the pre-war era as well as the duration of the war, and examines the current economic and social standings of women in the country.

Ethan Whipple, an English major from Olean. “Cattaraugus: The Creative Process” explores his attempt at creative writing. The project includes a collection of poems and an accompanying prose essay on poetics, principles and process.

About the University: St. Bonaventure is in the top 15 percent of institutions in U.S.News & World Report’s 2010 ranking of Northern universities that offer master’s degrees. It has a history of accomplishment and service that extends back 150 years. At the heart of St. Bonaventure University is the Franciscan affirmation of the dignity and worth of the entire created order. Fundamental to this vision is an awareness that it is within relationships and community that individuals discover and develop their potential.